4 Arizona places cooler than Phoenix right now

To mid-October: Summer Scenic Skyride |
Take a ride to the top of an extinct volcano, where a Forest Service ranger will answer your questions on the biology and geology of the region.(Photo: Michael McNamara/The Arizona Republic)

This record-breaking Phoenix heat! You don't have to take it any more. Really, you don't. All you have to do is get in a car and drive. Here are four places that are way cooler than Phoenix right now.

Arizona Snowbowl Skyride

Ride the chairlift at Arizona Snowbowl near Flagstaff to the top of an extinct volcano, where a Forest Service ranger will answer your questions on the biology and geology of the San Francisco Peaks. The summit is 11,500 feet in elevation and offers for breathtaking views of northern Arizona. You might actually need a jacket up there. How great does that sound?

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through mid-October. Open Mondays on holiday weekends. From Flagstaff, drive 7 miles northwest on U.S. 180 to Snowbowl Road. Turn right and go 7 miles to the lodge. $15, $10 for 8-12 and 65-69, free for age 7 or younger and for age 70 or older. 928-779-1951, arizonasnowbowl.com.

Got a thing for chairlifts? If you're going to the White Mountains, you can hop on the one at Sunrise Park Resort. The ride takes you to 10,700 feet, where there are big views of the forest and valley. Pack a snack to enjoy at the picnic area at the top. Chairlift rides cost $10-$15.

Very adventurous types can bring their mountain bikes on the lift and ride down one of 14 trails. There are options for all skill levels, from children to experts. Mountain-bike lift passes cost $30 per day. Bike rentals are available, $20-$55.

Sunrise Park's new summer tubing attraction will appeal to those who like a little less adrenaline. Just hop on the big inflated tube and whiz down the hill.

"The tubing hill is a 300-foot tubing slide, which is like a slip-and-slide without water," said Matthew Weiss, the resort's marketing manager. Cost is $10-$25 for individuals; $32-$65 for families of up to four.

Details: About 28 miles east of Pinetop on State Route 273. 855-735-7669, sunriseskiparkaz.com.

Inside the Lava River Cave.(Photo: Michael McNamara/The Republic)

Lava River Cave hike

If you really want to chill out, explore the Lava River Cave northwest of Flagstaff. It's 35 degrees inside. Coconino National Forest officials call it "nature's ice box." The mile-long lava tube, formed eons ago and discovered in 1915, is a family favorite.

It's pitch-black in the dry cave, but the footing is decent once you clamber down the rocks at the beginning. Wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes. Bring at least two flashlights per person — extra batteries are a good idea, too — and a camping headlamp if you have one.

Many parts of the cave are spacious enough to stand up in, but there are areas where you'll have to take care not to whack your head. It's fun for all ages because no special skills are required and you can't get lost.

Details: Drive 9 miles north of Flagstaff on U.S. 180 and turn west (left) on Forest Road 245 (at milepost 230). Continue 3 miles to Forest Road 171 and turn south. Drive one mile to where Forest Road 171B turns left and continue a short distance to Lava River Cave. Free. www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.

Grand Canyon Caverns were formed in the limestone bed of an ancient sea that once covered the region.(Photo: Grand Canyon Caverns)

Grand Canyon Caverns

These caves northwest of Seligman were discovered by a local, who purchased the property they were on because he was convinced they held gold. They didn't. But tourists have been visiting them ever since. Now is a good time to go, because the temp inside the cavern is about 56 degrees. That's what, 60 degrees cooler than it was on Thursday?

Tens of thousands of people visit Grand Canyon Caverns — the largest dry cave in the United States — every year. Tours range from short, wheelchair-accessible outings to rugged off-trail adventures to after-hours Ghost Walks.

Many fossils have been found at the cave, including that of a giant ground sloth, extinct for thousands of years, that probably weighed around 2,000 pounds.

Adventurous guests with fat wallets can spend the night 220 feet underground in the Cavern Suite, touted as the largest (200 feet by 400 feet with a 70-foot ceiling), oldest (65 million years), darkest and quietest "hotel" room on Earth. It costs $800 per night for two people, $100 for each additional person up to six.